Teresa’s Tasty Tea Cup Red Berry Crumbles

I just made a gluten free crumble as I bought lots of gorgeous berries at the local market this morning in Montsoreau. Packed to the hilt with zinc and omega 3 filled seeds and nuts plus cinnamon to calm your blood sugar levels and ginger with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects this gluten free version of a classic is a nutritious, delicious but also healthy dessert option. In this particular version I’ve added a few chopped apricots because a) they are scrumptious, b) shades of red and apricot make for an appealing colour combination on the plate and c) apricots are packed with Vitamin E so good for the nourishment of our skin.

To a mixing bowl add the brown sugar, ground almonds, rice flour, walnuts, salt and butter. Mix all ingredients with your hands until all of the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the powdered ginger and cinnamon

Add the topping mix to the fruit in an even layer.

Sprinkle the sunflower and flaked almonds on the top with a little extra sugar

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is crisp and golden.

Enjoy with Greek Yogurt, Creme Fraiche or Vanilla Ice Cream

I served ours with local fresh Angevin live yogurts. A sensible option to my mind. Full of protein, Vitamin D and good for your health on a number of levels including good for promoting strong bones and also for good gut bacteria plus such foods are know to engender a sense of well being. Its the tryptophan so I understand.

According to top nutritionist and medical professionals and authorities such as *Dr. Dalton-Smith, tryptophan contains sleep-inducing nutrients. So says Dr. Dalton Smith

“Calcium is effective in stress reduction and the stabilization of nerve fibers, including those in the brain.”

8 Apr 2016

Top UK Nutritionist Patrick Holford suggests that our skin is a barometer of our body’s health, and suggests that by improving our internal systems by incorporating such foods as live yoghurt in our diets we can boost considerably enhance our health.

Served alongside today’s crumble were dishes of red berry jam also made this morning. Packed with Vitamin C and sugar of course…. I do however try to restrict the amount of sugar that I use.

I sometimes think that when we make a small amount of jam it has a more exquisite taste. This one was just a case of tossing a punnet of raspberries, a punnet of strawberries and a few blackberries – the latter picked from the hedgerows of Fontevraud combined with sugar and lemon juice, brought to boiling point and cooked for 10 minutes…Bliss in a pot

Whether you need to eat gluten free or not this crumble really hits the spot in terms of being deliciously sweet but also dare I say it it might even be good for you. Good for your skin and good for your tummy…well maybe not the sugar element, but we have to live a little don’t we? An intelligent dessert on a plate.

Enjoy!

*A practitioner for 18 years, Dr. Dalton Smith graduated from the Meharry Medical College School of Medicine in 1999. She works in Anniston, AL and specializes in Internal Medicine. Dr. Dalton Smith is affiliated with Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center.